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Microhematuria, also called microscopic hematuria (both usually abbreviated as MH), is a medical condition in which urine contains small amounts of blood; the blood quantity is too low to change the color of the urine (otherwise, it is known as gross hematuria).
Hematuria can be classified according to visibility, anatomical origin, and timing of blood during urination. [1] [6]In terms of visibility, hematuria can be visible to the naked eye (termed "gross hematuria") and may appear red or brown (sometimes referred to as tea-colored), or it can be microscopic (i.e. not visible but detected with a microscope or laboratory test).
The syndrome presents with hematuria (blood in the urine) and flank (a region of the lower back beneath the ribs and above the ilium) pain which can result from a number of causes. Nonglomerular causes of bleeding (e.g., urinary infection, tumor, or nephrolithiasis) must be excluded.
The blood pressure, kidney function, and the urinary protein excretion are usually normal. Mild proteinuria (less than 1.5 g/day) and hypertension are seen in a small minority of patients. Frank hematuria and loin pain should prompt a search for another cause, such as kidney stones or loin pain-hematuria syndrome.
This constellation of symptoms contrasts with the classical presentation of nephrotic syndrome (excessive proteinuria >3.5 g/day, low plasma albumin levels (hypoalbuminemia) <3 g/L, generalized edema, and hyperlipidemia). [8] [10] Signs and symptoms that are consistent with nephritic syndrome include: Hematuria (red blood cells in the urine) [11]
Laboratory testing of urine samples now can be performed with dipsticks that indicate immune system responses to infection, as well as with microscopic analysis of samples. The presence of hematuria, or blood in the urine, may indicate acute UTIs, kidney disease, kidney stones, inflammation of the prostate (in men), endometriosis (in women), or ...
The formation of urine takes place in microscopic structures called nephrons, about one million of which are found in a normal human kidney. Blood enters the kidney though the renal artery and flows through the kidney's vasculature into the glomerulus, a tangled knot of capillaries surrounded by Bowman's capsule.
It differs from nephritic syndrome in that there are no red blood cells in the urine. [2] Treatment is directed at the underlying cause. Other efforts include managing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and infection risk. A low-salt diet and limiting fluids are often recommended. [1] About 5 per 100,000 people are affected per year.